Bird Cage
by Wildeve of the Heath
Summary: Ymir is an aspiring magician, and her career had just started taking off. Krista barely has enough money for clothes but she catches an evening show without pay- after peeking in on Ymir's secret, she is enlisted as her assistant.


I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Bird Cage

Ymir is an aspiring magician, and her career had just started taking off. Krista barely has enough money for clothes but she catches an evening show without pay- after peeking in on Ymir's secret, she is enlisted as her assistant.

A/N: So I watched The Prestige the other night and...I just had to write something about it, so this will be a mix of the two, somewhat. The story is based in the late 1800's or so, I will try my best to keep the story historically accurate, so don't get me on Ymir being a woman.

Also writing this for a friend. Funny story, she trapped me in Minecraft wit obsidian and promised to only let me out if I wrote a fic. This story...IS NOTHING TO WHAT SHE REQUESTED FOR, WHOOPS, MY HAND SLIPPED. Anyway, enjoy this.

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"You, step up here!" Ymir gallantly said as she offered her hand to the man.

He clambered onto the stage, excited with a grin plastered upon his face. Internally, Ymir grimaced but she maintained her famed smirk as she stepped aside so that he could take his place to the right. As the spotlight faced the other volunteer, she took a boxed, metal birdcage from the lonesome stand on stage and placed it in between the three of them, one hand holding the bottom.

She projected her voice for the theater.

"Our four combined weight will place pressure on the walls of this cage," Ymir explained. "Will the bird live or will it die?"

"Die!"

"Live!"

"By God's grace it'll be in His hands!"

Most shouted for death in anticipation, what a negative crowd.

Ymir chuckled and had the cage held on each side by their hands. One thrust down. Two. Three!

The cage collapsed from within but the mechanism in the back pushed the dove out on time. It fluttered and the audience cheered in excitement at the final act. This gig was in a medium sized theater somewhere in Boston, it wasn't as grand as she aspired for but, with her popularity rising so fast, she hoped that promising contracts were amongst the crowds.

The volunteers were escorted back into the audience.

She tucked the cage under her armpit and bowed deeply.

Roses and coins were throat to her, she was gracious for he attention but it was just another night on the spotlight.

The velvet curtains were drawn. Another good night.

The theater manager greeted her, saying,"Mr. Titan, I have your earnings as promised. Nice work out there."

"Thanks, always good working here," Ymir said happily, putting the cash into her coat pocket without counting the roll. The heaviness told her it was a few hundred bucks. Just enough to pay her workers and give a party for herself. She brushed by some stage hands and went out into the street to where her carriage was.

Sasha sat at the head, coughing from the cool night air. She took the roll out and handed her a dollar.

"Fix that," she said as she climbed into the carriage and knocked against the door for her to go.

"Finally!" She rasped out, followed by a violent cough.

Ymir boringly stared out the window as the horses hauled her down the slums of that back roads that resided behind the grand buildings of the richer side of the city. She sighed, hopefully Connie managed to fish out another contract from somewhere. This night was good, but she needed more revenue to continue on.

Something was lacking in her performances, but she couldn't place her tongue on what it was.

She lulled her head against the glass pane as the carriage rumbled down the cobblestones.

She took the cash out and counted it in the dim light.

Exactly five hundred, minus one given to Sasha.

Well done.

Through the dreary streets of the homeless, they merged into the main main road and onto smoother ground to where crowds blocked the horses. She heard Sasha yelling for people to move out of the way. In the midst of the unidentifiable faces, Ymir looked at each of them, seeing only money from the rich that wanted a night of magic. She huffed and closed the curtain over them.

After an hour, the carriage stopped and the door opened to show the sickly Sasha holding it.

"We're here," Sasha announced dryly.

They were at the hotel, a lavished one in the middle of Boston's bustling port-city. She stepped out, examined the area, and calmly strode out. None of the others were there to greet her as they often stayed back to clean up the stage and tend to the animals.

She walked into the hotel, undisturbed, as it was late in the night for any adoring fans to search for her.

She ascended the stairs to her room on the fourth floor, her weary feet from performing ached her, a bath was needed. A damn bath. Something hot to relieve the pain and make her relax, a bottle of wine too. She unlocked the door and entered.

The fire was already lit and it burned strongly, she took off her coat and hung it on a nearby hook. Once she kicked off her shoes, she rung a bell by the door for room service, her tiredness made her lazy and forced her to retire to a sofa by the fire to await a servant.

-...-

Krista had always loved magicians.

When she was young, she used to sneak into the Boston Theater to watch the men from back stage. Volunteers, animals, objects, victims of the illusion entranced her- she had seen a great number in her childhood but as she grew, she was too noticeable by security.

However, she was lucky this passed month.

For the fifth time, she managed to sneak in to watch the 'Dancing Titan', a magician who claimed to have traveled from across the Atlantic to perform in America. She was in awe of the man's performance, she fell in love with the tricks he done, and the way he held that smile, he had more charm than anyone in the state. She called herself a fool to say she was in love with him, she had seen him enough to memorize his routine.

Enough to be entranced.

One day, during work, she was preparing to see his final act for the theater. She overhead one of the servants speak of a suave, tall, freckled man who was staying at the hotel- no doubt this was him. And he was staying at the hotel she worked at, what luck and shame!

She rushed back after the show, she had sneaked away time from work for too long.

After running through the streets and cutting through the back road, she finally reached the grand hotel.

At the entrance, a rich carriage had just arrived, and out came him. The Dancing Titan.

Her heart skipped a beat as she observed him sleepily head for his room. Actors were normally tired after a night, as she recalled, and no doubt he would be ringing a bell for treatment.

Now was her only chance!

She headed for the basement to where the bells for rooms rung for callings. A group of women sat by, uncaring for the bells. As she traded her night coat for an apron, a bell rang and almost immediately she declared,"I'll take it!"

"Never heard you so excited before," said one of the girls, though she sounded bitter.

"Go ahead, we're done for tonight," an old woman told her.

Krista nodded and rushed up the stairs, her heart slamming in her chest. She was getting nervous, she tried her best to keep her hands from shaking but her knees were growing weak- she would be standing in the presence of the most handsome man she'd seen. Alone. To tend to him.

She stopped at the door and double checked the sign for the golden numbers. Room 401.

This was the one.

She knocked three times and waited.

"Coming!" A voice from within said.

It was him.

She hand to bite her tongue to tell herself this was real.

The door opened and from the other side, a bored expression splayed upon that beautiful face greeted her.

"R...Room service!" She managed to say softly.

"Finally, that was quick too," he said, impressed by her. He offered the door for her, she stepped in, another rush overcame her as she felt red in the face. He went over to the sofa and plopped himself down. "Draw me a bath and get me wine. No glass, please."

"Of course, sir," she said shakily. She hurried into the extravagant bathroom and turned the taps for the hot water to pour. As that waited, she went out into the hallway for the small storage room where wine was kept. She took the best one only reserved for the governor and returned to the room, corkscrew in hand. She stood by the man, heart hammering in her ears.

She undid the cork with a struggling moment and placed the bottle on the table near him. He took it and drank it, taking long gulps and letting out a relieved sigh.

She stood there, watching him as he tipped his head back every so often for the wine.

She watched her throat pulsate every so often, but then...noticed that he lacked that lump all men had. She brushed it off- it added to his attraction anyway. Moments passed on, silence. She wondered what was going through his head as he blankly stared at the fire.

"...um, sir?"

"Hm?"

"I've seen your show," she started, the words rolled out of her mouth.

"Oh?"

"Yes, since you came to Boston."

He chuckled. "Did you like what you see, girl?"

"Oh, indeed, sir. I love your act."

"My last one was tonight."

Krista's smile faltered.

"I may come back in two months though if I don't tour in Europe."

Oh, Europe!

"Did you...come from there?"

"I came from across the sea, didn't I?" He teased her, turning to look at her with a charmed eye.

She nearly forgot about the bath. Breathlessly, she said,"Yes," and went to the bath to where she turned off the tap. She returned. "Your bath is ready, sir."

He stood up and scratched the back of his neck. When he stretched slightly, she took notice of his chest in which two flattened lumps pressed against the dress shirt. She stared for too long, but he didn't comment as he placed the wine down. Did he...have breasts? Like a...woman? The man in which she fantasized about started to shatter her image of him as he strode away for the bath.

He swung the door to close it but it didn't properly latch, leaving only a crack for it to stay open.

Curiosity got her. It got the best of her all the time.

The better part of her told her to stay and wait until she was called upon.

Well, it was being silenced as she headed for the door, each step caused heat to rise. She stayed at the door and peered through the one inch crack as that broad, freckled speckled, slender figure had his back to her; it was tanner than most she had seen, it added more to him. She bit her lip, tense.

She had heard of the others peeking in on men from time to time, she never had an interest until now.

As she stood there in apprehension, her whole world suddenly went into a standstill as he, or rather, _she_ turned around to face her while getting into the bath.

Her jaw dropped as she stared.

Those breasts that were bound back by a sash were now exposed, they were soaking in the water as the magician pressed her head back against the wall, sighing.

Krista craned her head to he side, eyes wide and mouth agape in utter confusion.

"You're...a woman?" She asked with her thoughts speaking out loud.

A slosh of water and a gasp came from her as she realized that the door was still open. The woman grabbed a nearby towel and covered her chest, frantic.

"S-stay there!" The woman barked.

Oh, what had Krista stumbled on tonight?


End file.
